Browsing by Author "Toon, Katherine"
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Item Brine Processor Assembly: A Year of Successful Operation on the International Space Station(2023 International Conference on Environmental Systems, 2023-07-16) Boyce, Stephanie; Joyce, Connor; Pasadilla, Patrick; Tewes, Phillip; Wilson, Jonathan P.; Williamson, Jill; Toon, KatherineParagon Space Development Corporation developed a Brine Processor Assembly (BPA) as a technical demonstration for the International Space Station (ISS), which has now been operating continuously for 18 months. BPA recovers water from urine brine produced by the ISS Urine Processor Assembly (UPA) via forced convection of cabin air coupled with a patented membrane distillation process. An ionomer-microporous membrane-based bladder retains the liquid brine while water vapor pervaporates into the cabin, for collection as humidity condensate. This paper will discuss progress to-date on BPA performance. As of May 2023, 22 full operational runs have been completed, recovering nearly 400 L of water from urine brine. This represents a cost savings of over $40 Million from the mass of water that has not needed to be launched to or discarded on ISS, minus the cost of consumables (bladders and odor filters). On orbit telemetry has been used to further refine the thermal model for more accurate predictions of water recovery. Water recovery operations continue to align closely with ground test results, and the added exhaust filter has performed well in eliminating nuisance odor. Several dewatered bladders have been returned to Earth to assess the inner membrane pore wetting, confirm dewatered weight, as well as to assess dewatered brine concentration and composition at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). By increasing overall water recovery on ISS, BPA demonstrates a critical capability needed to close the water processing technology gap identified in NASA�s Water Recovery Technology Roadmap. The continued on-orbit operations of BPA contribute significant knowledge and understanding to the most efficient methods to recover water and inform best practices for future implementation of Paragon�s water reclamation technologies. This technology achieves an essential capability to enable human exploration of deep space.Item Closing the Water Loop for Exploration: 2022 Status of the Brine Processor Assembly(51st International Conference on Environmental Systems, 7/10/2022) Boyce, Stephanie; Molina, Sunday; Harrington, Walter; Joyce, Connor; Pasadilla, Patrick; Tewes, Philipp; Williamson, Jill; Perry, Jay; Toon, Katherine; Meyer, Caitlin; Harper, Susana TapiaParagon Space Development Corporation developed a Brine Processor Assembly (BPA) for demonstration on the International Space Station (ISS). BPA recovers water from urine brine produced by the ISS Urine Processor Assembly (UPA) via a patented process and ground testing has demonstrated water recovery rates greater than 90% from the previously concentrated urine brine. BPA utilizes the forced convection of spacecraft cabin air coupled with a membrane distillation process to recover purified water from 22.5 liters of brine within a 26 day cycle. By increasing overall water recovery on ISS to greater than 98%, BPA demonstrates a critical capability needed to close the brine processing technology gap identified in NASA's Water Recovery Technology Roadmap. This paper discusses operational progress since launch to the ISS in February 2021. After installation, checkout, and activation on the ISS, BPA operations were successfully initiated in April 2021. Despite successful nominal operation, crew members expressed discomfort due to malodor from effluent BPA air. After the initial dewatering cycle was completed, it was determined that BPA would need to mitigate odor before on-orbit operations resumed. To address these concerns, an outlet filter system was developed, and an extensive characterization study was conducted to test the efficacy of the filter in reducing odor. This study included analysis of gas, odor, and condensate samples of filtered and unfiltered effluent air during a brine dewatering cycle with an identical BPA ground unit. The filter assembly demonstrated > 85% first pass reduction in odor without detrimental effects to BPA operations. As a result, a similar assembly was launched to the ISS, installed, and BPA operations were resumed in October 2021. This technology achieves an essential capability to enable human exploration of deeper space, and this experiment was an opportunity to identify the importance of human factors in life support spaceflight hardware.Item Feasibility of UV LEDs in a Spacecraft Wastewater Application: Exploring Biofilm Control in the WPA Wastewater Tank(50th International Conference on Environmental Systems, 7/12/2021) Adam, Niklas; Gilbert, Susan N.; Kelley, Christopher; Almengor, Audry; Harris, Jacob; Callahan, Michael; Hanford, Anthony; Toon, Katherine; Ott, C. MarkAs the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) expands its scope and begins to venture into long-duration, manned space flights, the function and maintenance of spacecraft water systems becomes increasingly critical and difficult to achieve. New mission requirements will limit opportunities for resupply and demand extended periods of uncrewed operations. Based on lessons learned from the International Space Station (ISS), one particular challenge of future spacecraft water systems will be maintaining adequate microbial control, especially in water subsystems and component-level elements where effective long-duration biocontrol strategies do not currently exist. To ensure the reliability and redundancy in these systems, new technologies will be needed in order to ensure mission success. After proving feasibility of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) ultraviolet (UV) light emitting diodes (LEDs) disinfection devices in flow through applications in 2018, our current work has focused on the development of UV LED technology for microbial control in bellows-style spacecraft wastewater tank. Two primary strategies were developed used to determine initial feasibility. The strategies included, (1) flow into, continuous recirculation, and flow out of the tank volume through a standalone UV reactor system, and (2) direct UV irradiation on the wetted tank surfaces using an integrated UV-tank array. This paper summarizes the feasibility of these approaches through benchtop and subscale tank testing and outlines the proposed development pathway of these technologies for biofilm control in a wastewater tank applications.Item International Space Station as a Testbed for Exploration Environmental Control and Life Support Systems - 2020 Status(2020 International Conference on Environmental Systems, 2020-07-31) Shaw, Laura; Garr, John; Gavin, Lynda; Matty, Christopher; Ridley, Alesha; Salopek, Michael; Toon, KatherineHuman exploration missions beyond low earth orbit present significant challenges to spacecraft system design and supportability. A particularly challenging area is the Environmental Control and Life Support System that maintains a habitable and life-sustaining environment for crewmembers. NASA is utilizing the experience gained from its current and prior spaceflight programs to mature life support technologies for exploration missions to deep space. The intent is to establish a portfolio of life support system capabilities with proven performance and reliability to enable human exploration missions and reduce risk to success of those missions. As a fully operational human-occupied platform in microgravity, the International Space Station presents a unique opportunity to act as a testbed for exploration-class Environmental Control and Life Support Systems, such that these systems may be tested, proven, and refined for eventual deployment on deep space human exploration missions. This paper will provide an updated status on the testbed development including hardware and ISS vehicle integration progress to date as well as future plans for efforts to design, select, build, test and fly Exploration Environmental Control and Life Support Systems on the International Space Station.Item International Space Station as a Testbed for Exploration Environmental Control and Life Support Systems -- 2022 Status(51st International Conference on Environmental Systems, 7/10/2022) Ridley, Alesha; Beachy, Laura; Brown, Christopher; Caradec, Paul; Garr, John; Gavin, Lynda; Hornyak, David; Matty, Christopher; Shaw, Laura; Toon, KatherineHuman exploration missions beyond low earth orbit, such as NASA's Artemis Program, present significant challenges to spacecraft system design and supportability. A particularly challenging area is the Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) that maintains a habitable and life-sustaining environment for crewmembers. NASA is utilizing the experience gained from its current and prior spaceflight programs to mature life support technologies for exploration missions to deep space. The intent is to establish a portfolio of life support system capabilities with proven performance and reliability to enable human exploration missions and reduce risk to success of those missions. As a fully operational human-occupied platform in microgravity, the International Space Station (ISS) presents a unique opportunity to act as a testbed for exploration-class ECLSS, such that these systems may be tested, proven, and refined for eventual deployment on deep space human exploration missions. This paper will provide an updated status on the testbed development including hardware and ISS vehicle integration progress to date as well as future plans for efforts to design, select, build, test and fly Exploration ECLSS on the ISS.Item International Space Station as a Testbed for Exploration Environmental Control and Life Support Systems – 2023 Status(2023 International Conference on Environmental Systems, 2023-07-16) Ridley, Alesha; Brown, Christopher; Garr, John; Gavin, Lynda; Hornyak, David; Toon, Katherine; Caradec, Paul; Williams, AllenHuman exploration missions beyond low earth orbit, such as NASA’s Artemis Program, present significant challenges to spacecraft system design and supportability. A particularly challenging area is the Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) that maintains a habitable and life-sustaining environment for crewmembers. NASA is utilizing the experience gained from its current and prior spaceflight programs to mature life support technologies for exploration missions to deep space. The intent is to establish a portfolio of life support system capabilities with proven performance and reliability to enable human exploration missions and reduce risk to success of those missions. As a fully operational human-occupied platform in microgravity, the International Space Station (ISS) presents a unique opportunity to act as a testbed for exploration-class ECLSS, such that these systems may be tested, proven, and refined for eventual deployment on deep space human exploration missions. This paper will provide an updated status on the testbed development including hardware and ISS vehicle integration progress to date as well as future plans for efforts to design, select, build, test and fly Exploration ECLSS on the ISS.Item International Space Station as a Testbed for Exploration Environmental Control and Life Support Systems � 2021 Status(50th International Conference on Environmental Systems, 7/12/2021) Shaw, Laura; Garr, John; Gavin, Lynda; Hornyak, David; Matty, Christopher; Ridley, Alesha; Salopek, Michael; Toon, KatherineHuman exploration missions beyond low earth orbit, such as NASA�s Artemis Program, present significant challenges to spacecraft system design and supportability. A particularly challenging area is the Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) that maintains a habitable and life-sustaining environment for crewmembers. NASA is utilizing the experience gained from its current and prior spaceflight programs to mature life support technologies for exploration missions to deep space. The intent is to establish a portfolio of life support system capabilities with proven performance and reliability to enable human exploration missions and reduce risk to success of those missions. As a fully operational human-occupied platform in microgravity, the International Space Station (ISS) presents a unique opportunity to act as a testbed for exploration-class ECLSS, such that these systems may be tested, proven, and refined for eventual deployment on deep space human exploration missions. This paper will provide an updated status on the testbed development including hardware and ISS vehicle integration progress to date as well as future plans for efforts to design, select, build, test and fly Exploration ECLSS on the ISS.Item Update on Feasibility of UV LEDs in a Spacecraft Wastewater Tank Application(2020 International Conference on Environmental Systems, 2020-07-31) Adam, Niklas; Callahan, Michael; Almengor, Audry; Gilbert, Nikki; Harris, Jacob; Jimenez, Javier; Hanford, Anthony; Toon, KatherineAs the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) expands its scope and begins to venture into long-duration manned space flights, the function and maintenance of spacecraft water systems becomes increasingly critical and difficult to achieve. New mission requirements will limit opportunities for resupply and demand extended periods of dormancy during uncrewed operations. Based on lessons learned from the International Space Station (ISS), one particular challenge of future spacecraft water systems will be maintaining adequate microbial control, especially in water system and component-level elements where effective biocontrol strategies do not currently exist. To ensure the reliability and redundancy in these systems, new technologies will be needed in order to ensure mission success. One application specific microbial control technology under consideration is the use of ultra-violet (UV) light emitting diodes (LEDs). UV-LED technology may reduce the need for consumable resupply, such as filters or biocides, and may minimize crew time associated with the repair and refurbishment of exhausted and/or compromised components and/or systems. Having recently proved preliminary feasibility of commercial off the shelf (COTS) UV-LED devices in a number of spacecraft water system applications, this paper reports on the development of this technology for microbial control in the water processing assembly (WPA) wastewater tank application. The resulting data from this study will be are part of on going efforts to explore the use of UV-LED technology to increase the stability of water systems as deep space missions drive requirements toward more stringent needs for sterility and microbial control.